Storytelling beyond the Scoreboard
The Art and Craft of Sports Journalism
Published on 11. June 2026
304 pages
979-8-216-27874-0 (ISBN)
Description
Welcome to the world of sports writing, where success lies in the trust established between journalists, athletes, coaches, and other personnel who make magic, both on the field and off it.
Acclaimed sports journalists Nicole Kraft and Jean-Jacques Taylor deliver a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of capturing and communicating sporting events. Beyond statistics and scores that dominate headlines, sports journalism is about sharing the stories of the teams, players, coaches, administrators, executives, topics, controversies, and individual events.
Learning the artistry of sports writing, you will learn to showcase the narratives, emotions, and human stories that shape the games. The authors teach essential skills, including:
- Asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers
- Building relationships with players, coaches, and staff
- Excelling at storytelling that engages readers
- Reaching audiences through social media
- Leveraging the power of AI in ethical ways
Discussion questions and actual assignments will help you build relationships and hone your journalism skills from day one, empowering you to uncover stories that excite and engage readers on a profound level.
Acclaimed sports journalists Nicole Kraft and Jean-Jacques Taylor deliver a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of capturing and communicating sporting events. Beyond statistics and scores that dominate headlines, sports journalism is about sharing the stories of the teams, players, coaches, administrators, executives, topics, controversies, and individual events.
Learning the artistry of sports writing, you will learn to showcase the narratives, emotions, and human stories that shape the games. The authors teach essential skills, including:
- Asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers
- Building relationships with players, coaches, and staff
- Excelling at storytelling that engages readers
- Reaching audiences through social media
- Leveraging the power of AI in ethical ways
Discussion questions and actual assignments will help you build relationships and hone your journalism skills from day one, empowering you to uncover stories that excite and engage readers on a profound level.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
53 bw illus
File size
10,66 MB
ISBN-13
979-8-216-27874-0 (9798216278740)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Nicole Kraft | Jean-Jacques Taylor
Storytelling beyond the Scoreboard
The Art and Craft of Sports Journalism
Book
approx. 07/2026
Bloomsbury Academic
€36.50
Not yet published
Persons
Nicole Kraft is a Professor of Journalism Practice at The Ohio State University, USA. She also directs Ohio State's Sports and Society Institute. An award-winning writer, she covers sports for the Associated Press and Columbus Dispatch, and sports media for Forbes.com. Kraft is the author of Always Get the Name of the Dog, Writing Fabulous Features and 100 Years in Harness, and co-editor of Teaching Media Ethics. She was named the 2023 Scripps-Howard Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Jean-Jacques Taylor is an Adjunct Lecturer of Journalism at Southern Methodist University, USA, and president of JJT Media Group. A veteran Dallas-Fort Worth sports journalist, he co-hosts the JacquesTalk Podcast and contributes to ESPN Radio. Since 1995, Taylor has covered the Dallas Cowboys in various capacities, reporting from 23 Super Bowls, eight Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions, two World Series, two NBA Finals, a Stanley Cup Finals, and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He is the author of Coach Prime: Deion Sanders and the Making of Men, Game of My Life Dallas Cowboys, and Dak, Zeke and a New Cowboys' Era in Big D.
Jean-Jacques Taylor is an Adjunct Lecturer of Journalism at Southern Methodist University, USA, and president of JJT Media Group. A veteran Dallas-Fort Worth sports journalist, he co-hosts the JacquesTalk Podcast and contributes to ESPN Radio. Since 1995, Taylor has covered the Dallas Cowboys in various capacities, reporting from 23 Super Bowls, eight Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions, two World Series, two NBA Finals, a Stanley Cup Finals, and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He is the author of Coach Prime: Deion Sanders and the Making of Men, Game of My Life Dallas Cowboys, and Dak, Zeke and a New Cowboys' Era in Big D.
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Landscape of Sports Journalism
Sidebar: Covering Gambling
2. Foundations of Trust: Decency and Credibility in Sports Journalism
3. Outworking Everybody
4. Cultivating Source Relationships
Sidebar: How Relationships Drive a Student's Career in Sports Journalism by Noah Weiskopf
5. Effective Interviewing
6. Reading and Writing Go Hand-in-Hand
7. From Game Story to Story Telling
8. Show Don't Tell
9. Social Media as a Tool for Relationship Building and Personal Branding
Sidebar: Sports Podcasts and Storytelling
10. How Journalists Can Use AI Without Losing Their Voice-or Their Jobs
11. Facing Bias and Finding Belonging
12. How to be Ethical
Sidebar: Handling Confrontation
Sidebar: Coach or First Name? Why It Matters
13. The Human Side of Sports Journalism
14. Advice from Experts
Sidebar: Sports Writing Tenants
Index
About the Authors
Introduction
1. The Landscape of Sports Journalism
Sidebar: Covering Gambling
2. Foundations of Trust: Decency and Credibility in Sports Journalism
3. Outworking Everybody
4. Cultivating Source Relationships
Sidebar: How Relationships Drive a Student's Career in Sports Journalism by Noah Weiskopf
5. Effective Interviewing
6. Reading and Writing Go Hand-in-Hand
7. From Game Story to Story Telling
8. Show Don't Tell
9. Social Media as a Tool for Relationship Building and Personal Branding
Sidebar: Sports Podcasts and Storytelling
10. How Journalists Can Use AI Without Losing Their Voice-or Their Jobs
11. Facing Bias and Finding Belonging
12. How to be Ethical
Sidebar: Handling Confrontation
Sidebar: Coach or First Name? Why It Matters
13. The Human Side of Sports Journalism
14. Advice from Experts
Sidebar: Sports Writing Tenants
Index
About the Authors
